When Nafis was captured, officials said he was in the process of trying to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb in front of the Federal Reserve Bank on Liberty Street. Authorities said that there was never any actual danger to the public.

Nafis is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, according to the indictment which was unsealed Thursday.

An FBI affidavit said Nafis wanted to “destroy America” and that “the most efficient way to accomplish this goal was to target America’s economy.” Nafis also said he wanted to blow up the Federal Reserve Bank because it would cripple the United States financial system, according to officials.